CONFISCATION AND POCA

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) was enacted to provide prosecutors and courts with extensive powers to investigate, restrain, and confiscate a person’s assets and income, where it is suspected they are the proceeds of crime, as well as introducing many new criminal offences. Consequently under the general heading of “money laundering” many complex aspects of criminal and civil law are encountered including confiscation, restraint orders, receivership, forfeiture, recovery and seizure of cash, property freezing orders, repatriation of assets, civil recovery (even without conviction), new money laundering offences (conceals, disguises, converts, transfers, arranges, acquires, uses, possession, of criminal property), condemnation, and new concepts such as “criminal property”, “criminal lifestyle provision” etc.

Cases as diverse as fraud, mortgage fraud, benefits fraud, handling stolen goods, theft, deception, drugs, and many others, often have an element of POCA in the proceedings.

We have extensive experience in this field and have successfully represented many clients who are unfortunate enough to have become engulfed in this complex legal minefield. We are here to advise and represent you.